The Sinister Blade
by FunkeyMunkey
Summary: In a city born and raised on war, the Noxians stand behind the principle that only the strong survive. Respect comes only to those who are willing to bleed for it. Driven by a deadly need to prove herself, a young assassin ventures into enemy territory to complete her first assignment and bring glory to her family's name. (Interpretation on Katarinas Lore)


The full moon was rising, casting shadows onto the forest floor. It was silent as if the forest were sleeping. Suddenly a glint of crimson dashed through the trees. The assassin emerged from the shadows and neared a winding river. The assassin knelt down beside the riverbank and looked into the glistening river. The water was clear, almost like glass, and it cast the assassins reflection back at her. In one glimpse the girl with the crimson hair saw what she would normally call her reflection. She frowned upon looking at it. Her Eyes were an alluring crystal blue, her lips dry and her nose snubbed. These features belonged to Katarina yet she could not recognise the girl in the waters embrace. Katarina's face was now pale, the colour had drained from her skin. She felt hot, her pores sweating. Katarina slashed at the river, her reflection swallowed by the ripples of water dancing across the surface. She was nervous. She had been given her first assignment. She had to prove herself to her father and all of Noxus so she could rise up and save her dying city from corruption.

Katarina's assignment was frustratingly simple, it was insulting in fact. She was to assassinate a low ranking Demacian officer in a nearby camp. Katarina had trained with the best, she had a natural gift for this kind of thing, It was evident from childhood. A life of a noble was not the life for her, this is what she was born to do. So why was she so nervous? Katarina stood up, closed her eyes and counted to three. She had decided she would be nervous no more, Katarina had a job to do.

Katarina ventured back into the depths of the ominous forest, following the lonely dirt path as well as she could, with the moon the single source of light. The moonlight cast shadows of tree branches that closely resembled wicked elongated fingers entangling their prey. Katarina continued until eventually she could see a hint of life in the distance. The assassin saw the flicker of torches through the trees. The fire emitted a soft glow, It was almost welcoming. Katarina crept closer.

Katarina's ears pricked up, she heard guards whispering to one another. It was nonsense. A guard even laughed. Such trivial things Katarina thought to herself. Little did they know of the events that would soon unfold.

Katarina climbed a nearby tree to get a good vantage point. It was essential to scope out the area so she could blend in and infiltrate it. Katarina saw where the low ranking officer would be sleeping. He would be in the tent closest to the campfire in the middle of the camp she thought. There weren't too many guards. Katarina knew this assignment would be easy.

Katarina's life had been leading up to this moment. A chance to prove herself. A stepping stone to bigger and greater things. Katarina was determined to rise through the ranks until she was powerful enough to change all of Noxus. Katarina recalled that fateful rainy night where she failed to save a boy in need.

 ** _-several years ago-_**

An arc of lightning burst through the sinister skies. The flashes of light pulsated through the crystal glass window. A young girl clutched the blade underneath her pillow tightly, her eyes frantically searching the room. The skies let out a menacing growl in response. The crystal glass window rattled against the strong winds, the winds threatening to burst in. The young girl jumped out of bed and raced to the door. Still clutching her blade, the girl opened the wooden door painfully slow in anticipation for what could be lingering in the shadows.

The girl crept through the darkened hallway, the wooden floor creaking in agony after every step. Flashes of lightning lit up the room. Suddenly a grandfather clock chimed, the chime echoed through the rustic mansion almost taunting the young girl. The young girl continued until she came across the stairwell. She ventured down the stairwell that opened up into the main hall. She looked around the dark room and tried to make out the shapes lurking in the dark. The girl felt as though the eerie paintings were watching her every move.

Suddenly the girl could hear a faint cry in the storm. It beckoned for help. The young girl frantically raced to the front door. She struggled to unlock the double doors but eventually they were freed and the doors swung open. The storm immediately struck the young girl, the rain and winds bursting through the giant doors. The girl could hear the cry for help once again. The young girl braved the storm and ran into the street looking for the source of the cry.

The girl was drenched within seconds but she continued as her eyes scanned the street. Her eyes rested on the mansion across the street where a boy not much younger than the girl herself was screaming for help. It looked like he was using the door to keep himself up. The boy turned around and saw the girl at once. He cried out to her. He began to limp toward her. It looked like he may have been bleeding, even leaving a blood trail.

"Are you alright?" the girl called out dripping wet.  
A flash of lightning reflected off of the blade the girl was still holding.  
"Please don't hurt me"  
"I would never..."  
Suddenly the girl was swept off of her feet by a man behind her, forcing her to drop her blade.  
"Katarina! what are you doing out here?" The man asked. The man threw her over his shoulder and started to walk back to the mansion.  
"We need to help the boy" Katarina cried.  
The mansion guard turned his head to see the boy limping after them.  
"Forget him child" he said as he dragged her away. "You should be more concerned about what your father is going to say to you after this little adventure of yours"  
Katarina looked back to the boy and stretched out her hand almost like if she could reach further enough she could save the poor boy. She couldn't.

 ** _\- years later-_**

It was bright, Painful. The girl rolled over. That was better she thought. She was at peace again. Katarina felt like she was drifting, drifting towards the sun? There was a voice, it was distant  
"Come on Kat, wake up!" it said. It took a few seconds but Katarina's eyes began to flutter open. It was only until she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes that she realised someone was dragging her out of the bed and into the sunlight.

"Close the curtains" Katarina protested, "It's hurting my eyes."  
"Another adventurous night on your crusade?" the familiar voice asked.  
"Perhaps" Katarina yawned, stretching and sprawled out on the floor. Katarina tried to keep her cool even though her sister had come and ruined her precious sleep.  
"You didn't have to wake me up you know" Katarina said getting up and closing the curtains.  
"Actually I did, we have an etiquette lesson and father will be furious if you're absent again" her sister said opening the curtains once again.  
"There are more important things than etiquette Cass."  
"Like what?" Cassiopeia asked rolling her eyes.  
"Oh I don't know maybe the fact that our city is at war, this city is corrupt, and I need to save it?"  
"So you're going to live your life on your silly little crusade giving food to the poor and helping the sick and injured?" Cassiopeia looked out of the window and into the street to see the dying city. Katarina remained silent.

"It's going to take a little more than that to save this city" Cass said looking to her sister  
"I know and that's why I plan to rise through the ranks until I'm powerful enough to make a difference."  
"Katarina.." Cassiopeia said concerned.  
"You don't get it. You know your place, you're good at it too. You're the jewel of the court."  
Katarina lowered her head. "The life of a noble is not the life for me."  
"You're going to end up killed" Cassiopeia said looking to her sister.  
Katarina looked up and shouted "I can't just stand by and watch this city burn!"  
Cassiopeia closed her eyes briefly and composed herself before saying "We have an etiquette lesson. I just thought you'd like to know" and walked out of the room.

 ** _-soon after_ -**

With as much speed as Katarina could muster she ran through the mansion dodging servants and jumping over tables. Katarina jumped onto the stair rail and glided all the way down it. Katarina jumped off of the stair rail with a summersault. Katarina ran into the courtyard where she then dived onto the wooden table picking up numerous throwing knives, before back flipping off of the table, turning around, and throwing the knives in quick succession each finding their targets heart. Katarina looked at the sandbags going limp as the sand flowed from the tears in the fabric. Katarina smiled to her father proud of her work.

"You're late once again" Her father said almost angry.  
"I'm ready" Katarina said gesturing to the sandbags.  
"You still have much to learn" her father said.  
"We don't have time, I'm ready" Katarina protested.  
"Time? You have your whole life in front of you" her father said.  
"Time? We're running out of time. We're at war! Every second that goes by an innocent person will die! I need to do this. I need to change Noxus" Katarina said firmly.  
"Not this again.." her father said rolling his eyes.  
"Father I had the chance to save someone all those years ago, but I couldn't and now I have to live with that for the rest of my life!"  
"Katarina..." her father sighed.  
"Yes I know you've taught me that only the strong survive. If that boy were truly Noxian he would have survived. But father you've also taught me that respect comes to those who are willing to bleed for it and so I'm going to do just that."  
"Katarina listen.."  
"No father you listen!" Katarina said angry. "I'm going to prove myself, I'm going to earn respect and I can do that with or without your help."

 ** _-present-_**

Katarina shook her head trying to dispose of her memories, the very memories that haunt her to this very day. Only the strong survive. Why does it have to be that way? Why the injustice? Why must so many innocent lives be taken because of an irrational war? Katarina decided it would be no more.

With a quick flick of her wrist Katarina flew a set of Kunai at the guards with great accuracy. The Kunai impaled both of the guards in the neck and they fell silent. Katarina pounced from the tree and leapt to the bodies. It wasn't enough to kill them, Katarina knew this and so one after the other she slit the guards throats. She quickly hid the bodies in a nearby bush and dashed into the enemy camp.

An assassins job is to get assignments done quickly and quietly and so that was what Katarina was going to do until something spotted her eye. It was a cloaked Demacian general. What was a general doing here? Katarina asked herself. This was an opportunity too good to pass up. Imagine the praise she would receive for killing a general. This was the perfect opportunity to prove herself.

Katarina stalked the Demacian general to his tent, quickly taking out his guards with ease. She slid into the tent without a sound. The general was examining a map on an oakwood table at the end of the stuffy and humid room. The only light a candle, flickered, like it was dancing. Katarina's pulse quickened as she crept closer. She swept the beads of sweat on her forehead away and tightened her grip on her dagger. Katarina leapt forward and in one swift motion slit the generals throat, blood splattering onto the map. Katarina let go of the general and let him crumple to the floor.

After wiping the blade on her tight leather armour Katarina dashed out of the tent and into the night. The thrill of the kill gave her a whole new energy as she ran excitedly through the forest, her heart was racing. Katarina was pleased with what she had accomplished. She couldn't wait to tell her father of the good news.

The following day as Katarina was venturing back to her armies outpost she sensed that something wasn't quite right. It was a beautiful day, it was sunny. The birds were chirping away. All seemed calm, but Katarina knew. Katarina knew something was not right. Katarina burst into a sprint, running as fast as her legs would dare. Eventually Katarina got to the camp, fell to her knees and covered her mouth in horror.

The camp was in ruins. A battle had taken place and much blood was shed. Katarina's eyes darted around the camp. There wasn't much left to see but bodies laying amongst the grounds, the ruins stained with their blood. Katarina's eyes rested upon a body not far from her. The lifeless solider not much older than herself lay in a puddle of his own blood. Katarina rushed to his side and turned him over. The grotesque face that the solider left behind would haunt Katarina forever. Katarina closed the boys eye lids and saw the sun glisten against the glass protruding from his flesh. There was a bloody bottle beside the solider and Katarina could only imagine that the solider fell onto it in the chaos and slaughter of the Noxian soldiers.

It would seem that the Demacian officer, Katarina's original target, had led his forces to ambush the unprepared Noxian soldiers. It was all her fault. If Katarina had assassinated her original target as instructed none of this would have happened. Katarina had let her father down. She had let Noxus down. Most of all she had let everyone who has been mistreated down. Flashes of the stormy night entered Katarina's head. The boy. The way that he looked at her as she was dragged away. The assassin was furious, mostly at herself. In a fit of rage Katarina set off to complete her assignment in hopes of redemption.

It was nightfall and the moon was rising once again. Katarina was close to the Demacian base. The assassin was emotionally exhausted but her rage fuelled her. She was going to complete her mission no matter the cost. Katarina sought acceptance from Noxus, she needed to prove herself.  
"Respect is only given to those who are willing to bleed for it" Katarina muttered to herself.

As Katarina arrived she noticed straight away that something was different. Katarina climbed a nearby tree once again, to see that security had doubled. Her original target was in the wide open, only now, he was heavily guarded. Stealth would no longer be an option. Katarina grunted in frustration. Katarina looked below at the number of opponents. She could do it she tried to reassure herself. She had no choice it was now or never.

Drawing her blades Katarina jumped into the clearing ready to strike down anyone who would get in her way. The guards one after the other sprung at Katarina but the assassin easily deflected their attacks. Katarina was focused on the Demacian officer and no one else. The officer had seen the crimson haired assassin fall from the skies to wreck havoc. He saw the assassin advance towards him. He gulped in fear. By now everyone at the camp knew of Katarina's presence and were running toward her.

Katarina knew she would soon be overrun if she were not careful. She needed to kill him now and end this. Taking her blades Katarina spun around at an incredible speed, unleashing a whirlwind of blades. One by one the guards fell, each fallen solider brining her one step closer to her target.

Suddenly Katarina could not see out of her left eye. A curtain of her own blood fell upon her face. She had been struck, received a mortal blow across her eye. It was time to end it once and for all. Driven by an intense killer instinct, Katarina flung a final dagger. In an instant the dagger found it's home in Katarina's targets heart. The Demacian officer fell to the ground with a thump. Katarina's honour had been restored.

Bloody and bruised and clutching her left eye, Katarina fled the scene. The remaining Demacian soldiers watched as Katarina disappeared into the darkness. To Katarina the darkness was comforting. Katarina knew she would not be followed, but she ran. Katarina ran. She struggled to navigate through the dark woods. The assassin didn't have a destination but she knew she had to get away from there. She darted through the trees tripping over rocks and vines that seemed to appear out of nowhere and got whipped from the wicked elongated fingers, that were the branches of the menacing trees. The shrubbery seemed to entangle her legs as she ran.

Eventually Katarina collapsed against a mossy rock exhausted. The rock would soon be the colour of the assassins hair. Katarina had barely escaped with her life. Katarina's assignment had been completed. Katarina felt dizzy and nauseous but she was happy. Katarina gently brought her fingers to her bloody eye. She slowly pulled them away to see that they were now wet with blood. Her wound had not stopped bleeding, Katarina would need stitches. Katarina forced herself to get up. The assassin needed to start the trek back to Noxus before she'd bleed out. Katarina knew the wound would become a scar. The scar would become a constant reminder that she must never let passion interfere with duty.

 ** _\- a few days later -_**

"Come on Kat, wake up!" Cassiopeia said opening the once drawn curtains. The sunlight shone through the crystal glass window and into Katarina's eyes. Katarina moaned in protest.  
"Why!?"  
"Father wants to speak to you" Cassiopeia said with a hint of a smile.

Katarina jumped out of her bed and ran down the stairwell in search for her father. He was back and he had news from the council.  
"Katarina" her father called.  
The young assassin turned around. She saw her father standing in the doorway and ran towards him for a quick embrace. Katarina had never been this excited before and the anticipation was killing her. "I'm proud of you. I just want you to know that."  
Katarina's heart sank. What did that mean? Was he softening the blow? Katarina thought.  
"You've been cordially invited to a hearing at the council where your fate will be decided," her father paused before continuing "From what I hear you'll be accepted into the league."  
Katarina sighed in relief. This was it. Redemption.

Katarina's father cleared his throat and placed his hands on her shoulders "Katarina I'm very happy for you don't get me wrong, but I would like you to stop this silly crusade of yours"  
Katarina was shocked.  
"I fully support your decision to follow my footsteps and become a great leader in this fair city but you need to understand that your ideologies are not realistic. So please get your silly ideas out of your head."  
Katarina was furious. Stop? Stop the crusade? She had only began.  
"Father I'm not doing this for you!" Katarina spat. "I'm doing this for the downtrodden, weak and oppressed people who aren't 'Strong enough' to fight for themselves. I'm doing this for everyone I could have saved when I had the chance" Katarina pushed her father off of her before storming out of the room shouting "I hope you burn with this city father, so you're no longer around when my new city rises from the ashes!"

Katarina was furious. She made her way to her room and slammed the door behind her. This was ridiculous. The fight has only just begun. Katarina paced around the room several times before sitting down on her bed. Suddenly Katarina noticed the small brown parcel next to her. There was a little card attached that read

As a Token, Trophy and Tribute  
to your first assignment  
found in the ruins you left  
your first kills' remains

Katarina thought of the cloaked general that she slaughtered almost too easily. She opened up the little parcel to find a very familiar blade. The very blade she dropped that fateful night.


End file.
